By Pam G. Dempsey
The Associated Press
DANVILLE, Ill. (AP) — Daisy Liu, owner of Green Island Chinese Restaurant in downtown Danville, knows most of the faces who come for the lunch buffet during the work week.
There are doctors, judges and lawyers, plus jurors from the Vermilion County Courthouse next door.
One day after the lunch rush, Liu, took advantage of the lull to tell about how she came to Danville from the region of Guangxi, where she lived a life of privilege and wealth with a well-connected government job.
But her move to America from China in 1997 gave Liu a shot at something money could not buy — equal opportunity.
“She wants to be somebody and do it on her own, without all of her connections,” said her daughter, Kathy Lan, 20. “The way of China in doing business is without connections, you are nobody.”
In China, Liu was a somebody.
The youngest of four children, Liu had a top government job in the city of Liuzhou, a commercial and business hub in southwest China.
It was her job to approve all imports into the city. She also documented emergencies and major events, such as murders, for her superiors.
The 5,000 yuan (about $730) a month she got was a decent salary, Liu said, but in China, position weighs more than salary.
“My job in China is very good job,” she said.
But there was something more Liu wanted.
“She was looking for opportunity to have her own business, to leave the government and for me to study,” Lan said, noting that U.S. schools offer more choices in areas of study and extracurricular activities, better access to technology and better facilities.
At the age of 27, Liu took a month to visit 13 European countries. She also spent a month traveling across America.
“She believes traveling is important; it opens your mind,” Lan said. “You look at the world different. You don’t look at the world just in front of you; you learn from other people.”
In 1995, Liu started a wholesale metal import business in California, relying on the help of Asian friends.
Two years later, she moved to America permanently, living in a one-room basement apartment.
But there was a problem. Liu didn’t speak English.
In 1995, Liu started a wholesale metal import business in California, relying on the help of Asian friends.
Two years later, she moved to America permanently, living in a one-room basement apartment.
But there was a problem. Liu didn’t speak English. ♦